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搬弄是非

bānnòng-shìfēi
idiom #37,290

Meanings

  1. 1 to gossip and stir up trouble
  2. 2 to sow discord by carrying tales
  3. 3 to make mischief between people

Examples

HSK 2
她最爱搬弄是非，办公室里没人喜欢她。
Tā zuì ài bānnòng-shìfēi, bàngōngshì lǐ méi rén xǐhuān tā.
She loves to spread gossip and stir up drama - nobody in the office likes her.
HSK 4
请不要在我们之间搬弄是非。
Qǐng búyào zài wǒmen zhījiān bānnòng-shìfēi.
Please don't try to sow trouble between us.

Tips

history
The earliest seed is in 《庄子·盗跖》 ('Zhuangzi: Robber Zhi'), 摇唇鼓舌，擅生是非 ('wagging lips and drumming tongues, presuming to create right and wrong'). The fixed four-character form 搬弄是非 first appears in the Yuan-dynasty play 《伍员吹箫》 by Li Shouqing: 他在平公面前，搬弄我许多事非 ('In front of Duke Ping, he stirred up all kinds of trouble against me').
usage
Always negative - describes someone who deliberately retells private matters to drive a wedge between people. Stronger than 闲话 ('idle chatter'); a person who 搬弄是非 is socially toxic, the office drama-stirrer or family troublemaker.

Stroke Order

搬 bān
弄 nòng
是 shì
非 fēi